The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-06
Potato Culture.

Edmund Hussey. in New England Farmer.
A great variety of experiments in potato cult
ure during the past forty years convinces me
that We must be very cautious in answering cues
tons on the subject unless all of the surround
iLg conditions are known; for what is best
der one condition is far from being best under
different condition For example. on warm,
dry land it is best to plant potatoes five inches
below the surface and cover three inches deep,
then level up the other two inches after the
tatoes well up and keep the land level dur
ing the season; but on low and rather moist soil
two inches would be deep enough to plant the
potatoes and then cover three inches, thus leav-
ing the hill inch above the surrounding
level l regard to cutting potatoes very large
number of experiments have proved that whole
potatoes are best for warm, nigh land and for
very early potatoes they will not only yield
enough more to pay the extra cost of the Seed
but will produce crop from week to ten
days lrlier than cut potatoes, which will some
times make a difference in price of from fifty
cents dollar a bushel But rich. moist
land the difference between whole and cut po
tatoes not great. In the first place. a
rich, moist soil it is not so important to secure
early, vigorous growth it warm,
dry soil, and in the second place, not being
planted so deep below the surrounding land,
there is a greater tendency to the production of
a large number of stocks than dry land but.
as rule even on low land, it would be better
to plant medium sized potato whole if planted
eighteen inches apart in the drill, with the rows
forty-two inches apart. than it would to
them and plant them as soon as cut, with moth
ing TO prevent them from bleeding shut
the air out If potatoes to be cut they
should be we'll covered with plaster before
planting. AS to varieties for all soils the
Beauty of Hebron is probably the best we'll
established variety when everything is consid-
cred In regard to different varieties requiring
different soils it may be considered
quito certain that while early varieties
do better warm, dry soil than late varieties
it is probably not because there is difference in
the requirements of each, except in length of
time required for them to grow and ripen.
While the early variety will often become full
grown before the soil becomes dry enough to do
any injury, the late varieties will be so late that
drought may set in in time to stop the growth
of the tubers before half grown. Every grower
of potatoes, if he expects to be very successful,
must first learn the general requirements of a
crop. These he must carefully observe and ex
pertinent with until he learns the particular re-
qurements of each field on his own farm. There
such thing successful farming by rules
laid down by those who know nothing of our
particular surroundings. We gather from
abroad important hints which will greatly aid
in efforts for improvements; it is here
that the agricultural press to aid and
directs into proper channels for inves igaton-
Whatever facts may gather from abroad
should be taken home for investigation and
trial; then, and not until then. shall we know
their value when applied to our particular farm.